LONGVIEW — A worker who fell 200 feet from a Longview, bridge into the Columbia River is presumed dead.
The Cowlitz County sheriff’s office said another worker saw the man fall Sunday from a platform under the middle of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, which connects with Rainier, Ore.
On Monday, sheriff’s Chief Criminal Deputy Charlie Rosenzweig identified the man as 40-year-old Charles William Wiley Jr. of Mississippi. Rosenzweig said he did not know the man’s hometown. He has not been found.
The sheriff’s office said it’s not known how or why the safety equipment that Wiley was wearing did not prevent his fall. He was described as experienced and safety conscious. The sheriff’s office is coordinating its investigation with the state Department of Labor and Industries.
The Transportation Department says the man was part of a rigging crew that was installing paint platforms.
that was installing paint platforms.
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